Saturday, April 24, 2010

FOURTH SUNDAY OF EASTERPaul and Barnabas proclaimed the word of the Lordfirst to the Jewish people. Because many of them were notopen to hear the word of the Lord, they then went to theGentiles. Their mission from Jesus was to teach and to leavethe results up to Him. Jesus tells us today that He wants tobe our Good Shepherd, to lead us and to guide us and tobring us to eternal happiness. We pray that we may be opento hear the voice that we may be lead to eternal joy withHim.used with permission - Msgr. Bob Lawrence

Gospel PassageJohn 10:27 My sheep hear my voice. I know them, and they follow me. 28 Igive them eternal life, and they will never perish. No one will snatch themout of my hand. 29 What my Father has given me is greater than all else,and no one can snatch it out of the Father’s hand. 30 The Father and I areone.”

Questions for discussion -1. How do we hear Jesus’ voice? Where and when can you listen to Jesus?

2. Jesus says his sheep follow him in their actions. Who are His “sheep”? Howwell do you follow Jesus?

3. The Lord Jesus says the Father and Him are one. Their unity is perfect. Godcalls his disciples to be one, like the Father is in the Son and the Son in theFather. What do you need to do to bring about this same “unity” in yourfamily, in your parish, and with your friends?used with permission - Fr. Roger Landry

Saturday, April 17, 2010

THIRD SUNDAY OF EASTERThe disciples had been fishing all night and hadcaught nothing. How frustrating that must have been! Jesusappears to them and tells them to cast the net on the otherside of the boat and they would catch fish. Not too logical,is it? However, following the word of Jesus, they caught153 large fish. Obedience to the word of the Lord in ourlives produces the same results. If we are out there doingour own thing, we will catch nothing. If we listen andfollow the Lord’s direction, great things happen!Used with permission - Msgr. Bob Lawrence

Gospel PassageJohn 21:1 After these things Jesus showed himself again to the disciples by the Sea of Tiberias; and he showed himself in this way. 2 Gathered there together were Simon Peter, Thomas called the Twin, Nathanael of Cana in Galilee, the sons of Zebedee, and two others of his disciples. 3 Simon Peter said to them, “I amgoing fishing.” They said to him, “We will go with you.” They went out and got into the boat, but that night they caught nothing. 4 Just after daybreak, Jesus stood on the beach; but the disciples did not know that it was Jesus. 5 Jesus said to them, “Children, you have no fish, have you?” They answered him, “No.” 6 Hesaid to them, “Cast the net to the right side of the boat, and you will find some.” So they cast it, and now they were not able to haul it in because there were so many fish. 7 That disciple whom Jesus loved said to Peter, “It is the Lord!” When Simon Peter heard that it was the Lord, he put on some clothes, for he was naked, andjumped into the sea. 8 But the other disciples came in the boat, dragging the net full of fish, for they were not far from the land, only about a hundred yards off. 9 When they had gone ashore, they saw a charcoal fire there, with fish on it, and bread. 10 Jesus said to them, “Bring some of the fish hat you have just caught.” 11So Simon Peter went aboard and hauled the net ashore, full of large fish, a hundred fifty-three of them; and though there were so many, the net was not torn. 12 Jesus said to them, “Come and have breakfast.” Now none of the disciples dared to ask him, “Who are you?” because they knew it was the Lord. 13 Jesus cameand took the bread and gave it to them, and did the same with the fish. 14 This was now the third time that Jesus appeared to the disciples after he was raised from the dead. 15 When they had finished breakfast, Jesussaid to Simon Peter, “Simon son of John, do you love me more than these?” He said to him, “Yes, Lord; you know that I love you.” Jesus said to him, “Feed my lambs.” 16 A second time he said to him, “Simon son of John, do you love me?” He said to him, “Yes, Lord; you know that I love you.” Jesus said to him, “Tend mysheep.” 17 He said to him the third time, “Simon son of John, do you love me?” Peter felt hurt because he said to him the third time, “Do you love me?” And he said to him, “Lord, you know everything; you knowthat I love you.” Jesus said to him, “Feed my sheep. 18 Very truly, I tell you, when you were younger, youused to fasten your own belt and to go wherever you wished. But when you grow old, you will stretch outyour hands, and someone else will fasten a belt around you and take you where you do not wish to go.” 19(He said this to indicate the kind of death by which he would glorify God.) After this he said to him, “Followme.”

Questions for Discussion - 1. Jesus asked St. Peter three times if he loved him. Why do you think he asked himthree times? (Hint: think of Peter’s actions after the Last Supper. Is theresomething that happens next three times?)

2. Jesus gave work to his people — “feed my sheep, feed my lambs” — dependenton loving Him. Do you love Jesus enough to help him “feed” his “sheep andlambs”? Who are they and how can we feed them?

3. Jesus had helped St. Peter catch a miraculous load of fish once before, when hecalled him to be a “fisher of men,” to catch people. Why do you think he did thesame miracle here? Did He want to remind them of something?Used with permission - Fr. Roger Landry

Saturday, April 10, 2010

SECOND SUNDAY OF EASTEROR DIVINE MERCY SUNDAYWe can look at Thomas as the “doubting Thomas,” theone would not believe unless he could see, or we can look athim as the “desirous Thomas,” the one who really wanted to seethe Lord. Thomas wanted the same experience as the otherApostles and he wanted to touch the Lord Jesus in order that hecould know that Jesus was really alive. We need to have thatsame desire to see Jesus and know that He is risen and is in ourlives.A way that helps us to know Jesus in our lives is to dowhat the early Christians did. They joined together in prayerand the Lord revealed Himself to them in their communalprayer life. As we gather in prayer during the celebration of theEucharist, we can expect that the Lord will reveal Himself tous. As we share our time, talent, and treasure with one another,as the early Christians did, the Lord will be with us also.It is the ninth day since Good Friday when Jesus diedfor our sins. It is Divine Mercy Sunday. Accept the ocean ofmercy that Jesus has for us.used with permission - Msgr. Bob Lawrence

Gospel PassageJohn 20:19 When it was evening on that day, the first day of the week, and the doors of the house where the disciples had met were locked for fear of the Jews, Jesus came and stood among them and said, “Peace be with you.” 20 After he said this, he showed them his hands and his side. Then the disciples rejoiced when they saw the Lord. 21 Jesus said to them again, “Peace be with you. As the Father has sent me, so I send you.” 22 When he had said this, he breathed on them and said to them, “Receive the Holy Spirit. 23 If you forgive the sins of any, they are forgiven them; if you retain the sins of any, they are retained.” 24 But Thomas (who was called the Twin), one of the twelve, was not with them when Jesus came. 25 So the other disciples told him, “We have seen the Lord.” But he said to them, “Unless I see the mark of the nails in his hands, and put my finger in the mark of the nails and my hand in his side, I will not believe.” 26 A week later his disciples were again in the house, and Thomas was with them. Although the doors were shut, Jesus came and stood among them and said, “Peace be with you.” 27 Then he said to Thomas, “Put your finger here and see my hands. Reach out your hand and put it in myside. Do not doubt but believe.” 28 Thomas answered him, “My Lord and my God!” 29 Jesus said to him, “Have you believed because you have seen me? Blessed are those who have not seen and yet have come to believe.” 30 Now Jesus did many other signs in the presence of his disciples, which are not written in this book. 31 But these are written so that you may come to believe that Jesus is the Messiah, the Son of God, and that through believing you may have life in his name.

Questions for Discussion1. One of the first things Jesus did after rising from the dead was to breathe on theApostles and give them the power to forgive sins, which is what priests do in thesacrament of Reconciliation (Confession). If this is one of the first things Jesus did after rising from the dead, how important do you think it is to Him?

2. Jesus said to the Apostles, “If you forgive the sins of any, they are forgiven; if you retain the sins of any, they are retained.” How could anyone know which sins to retain and which to forgive unless somebody told them in confession? (Do you seethe importance of confessing your sins to the priest now?)

3. Jesus said to “doubting” Thomas, “Blessed are those who have not seen and yetbelieve.” We did not see Jesus rise from the dead with our own eyes. How can webe blessed too?used with permission - Fr. Roger Landry

Friday, April 2, 2010

Gospel PassageJohn 20:1 Early on the first day of the week, while it was still dark, Mary Magdalenecame to the tomb and saw that the stone had been removed from the tomb. 2 So sheran and went to Simon Peter and the other disciple, the one whom Jesus loved, andsaid to them, “They have taken the Lord out of the tomb, and we do not know wherethey have laid him.” 3 Then Peter and the other disciple set out and went toward thetomb. 4 The two were running together, but the other disciple outran Peter andreached the tomb first. 5 He bent down to look in and saw the linen wrappings lyingthere, but he did not go in. 6 Then Simon Peter came, following him, and went intothe tomb. He saw the linen wrappings lying there, 7 and the cloth that had been onJesus’ head, not lying with the linen wrappings but rolled up in a place by itself. 8Then the other disciple, who reached the tomb first, also went in, and he saw andbelieved; 9 for as yet they did not understand the scripture, that he must rise fromthe dead.

Questions for Discussion:

1. Jesus was alive again three days after he was killed by Crucifixion, just like He promised would happen. This is the most importantthing that ever happened in the history of the world. How does it change yourday-to-day life?

2. St. John looked at the empty tomb, saw and “believed.” He believed that theabsence of Jesus’ body meant that Jesus had risen from the dead, just as hepromised. If you were running there alongside Peter and John, what wouldyour reaction have been?

3. If someone told you that they don’t believe that Jesus rose from thedead, what would you do? What would you say? How would you try to help them believe what really happened?used with permission - Fr. Roger Landry

Resources for the Catholic Family

Prayer to the Holy Family

Lord Jesus Christ, who, being made subjectto Mary and Joseph, did consecrate domestic life byYour unspeakable virtues; grant that we, with the assistance of both, may be taught by the example of your Holy Family, and may attain to its everlasing fellowship. Who lives and reigns, world without end. Amen.